Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-10-22
CHAPTER XXI.
AWAYl AwAYl


second TO breathe our horses, and turn
ing, glanced at the battle beneath us,
which, illumined as 1t was by tho lerco
rays of the sinking sun staining the whole
scene red, looked from where we were
more like some wild titanic picture than ar
actual hand to hand combat.
"We win the day, Macumazahn, said old
Umslopogaas taking in the whole situation
with q glance Of his practiced eye. "Look,
the Lady OF the Nights forces give on every
side; there il no stiffness left in them, they
bend like hot iron, they are fighting with but
half heart. But alasl the battle will in
manner be drawn, for the darkness gathers
and the regiments will not he able 10 follow
and slayl'-and lie shook bis Eead sadly.
"But," he added, ~ do not think that they
will fight again; we have fed them with too
strong meat Ahl it is well to have liyedl
AT last have seen fight worth seeing.p
BY this time we were Oh our way again,
and as we went side by side l told him what
our mission was and how that. il it failed.
all the lives that had been lost that day would
have been lost in vain.
"Ahl' he said, "nigh on hundred miles
and no horses but these, and be there before
dawnl Well--away awayi man can but
try, Macuniazahn; and mayhap we shall be
there in time to split that old witch flnder'sn
(Agon') skull for him. Once he wanted to
burn u.s. the old rain maker did hol Anil
now llo would set snare for my mother
| tt5yieptha). "wou,d hel Goodi SO sure us
my name is the name OF the Woodpcckcr, SO
surely, lie my mother alive or dead, will split
| him TO the beard Ay, by 1'Chaka's head
swear It'll" and he shook 1ikosi-Laas as he gal
loped By now the darkness was closing in, but
| fortunately there would be moon later, and
the road was good
On VIC sped through tho twilight; the two
| splendid horses we bestrode had got theiI
wind by this, and werc sweeping along with
wide, steady stride that neither failed nor
varied for mile upon mile. Down the sides
of slopes we galloped. across wide wales that
stretched to the foot of far off hills. Nearer
and nearer grew the blue hills; now we were
travelling up their sleeps, and now we were
over and passing toward others that sprang
/ up like visions In the far, faint distance be.
yond.
We spake not, but bent us forward on the
nccks of those two glorious horses, and
listened to their deep, long drawn breaths as
they filed their great lungs, and to the
regular, unfaltering ring OF their round
hoofs. Grim and black, indeed, did OLD
Umslopogaas look beside me, mounted upor
the great white horse, like death in the reve.
lation of ST. John, as now and again lifting
his fierce set face he gazed out along the road
and pointed with his ak toward some distant
rise or house.
And SO on, still on, without break or pause
for hour after hour.
At last began to feel that even the splen
did animal that / rode was beginning to give
out. looked at my watch; it was nearly
midnight, and wo were considerably mort
than half way. On tho top of rise was G
little spring, which l remembered because
had slept by it few nights before, and hert
/ motioned to Umslopogaas to pull up, having
determined to give the horses and ourselves
ten minutes to breathe In. He did So and WI
dismounted- is to say, Umslopogaas did
and then helped me off, for what with fatigue
stiffness, and the pain Of my wound / coul,
not do SO for myself; and the gallant horse
stood painting there, resting first one leg ant
then another, while the sweat fell drip, drip
from them, and the steam rose and hung il
pale clouds in the still night air.
Leaving Umslopogaas to hold the horses,
hobbled to the spring and drank deep of it
sweet waters. had had nothing but singl
mouthful Of wine since midday, when tn
battle began, and was parohed up, thoug
my fatigue was too great to allow me to fee
hungry. Then, having laved my fevere
head and hands, | returned and tho Zul
WEI and drank. Next we allowed the horse
TO lake q couple OF mouthfuls each--no more
, az oh, what struggle we had to get tb
| Thnr
we're yet two minutes, and employed it i
hobpling up and down to try and relieve N
q stiffness, and in inspecting the condition {
the horses My mare, gallant animal thong
d she was, was evidently much distressed Sd
Q hung her head, and her eye looked sick an
dull; but Daylight, Nyleptha's glorious hors
! who, if he is served Alright, Should, like IL
steeds who saved the great Rameses in Ii
o need, feed for the rest Of his days out of
/ golden manger-was still, comparative
IS speaking, perfectly fresh, NOTWITHSTANDING
= that 10 had had by far the heavier weight
Il carry. He was sucked up," indeed and h
q legs were weary, but his eye was bright an
:, clear, and he held hissshapely head up an
8 gazed out into the darkness round him in
i way that seemed to say that, whoever faile
% he was good for those five and forty mil
P that yet lay between us and Milosis The
" umslopogaas helped me into the saddle and
is vigorous old savage that he was-vaultt
into his own without touching a stirrup, al
II We were off once more, slowly at first, till Il
is horses got into their stride, and then mo
ut swiftly. So we passed over another Il
n miles, and then came long, weary ri lie
lg some six or seven miles, and three times q
my poor black mare nearly come to 4
ground with me. But on the top she seem
err to gather herself together, and ratified Gov
SO the slope with long, conyulsive stride
as breathing in gasps. We did that three
to four miles moro swiftly than any since ,
had started on our wild ride, but felt it
w be last effort, and / was right Sudden
my poor bLrse took the bit between her tee
n and bolted curiously along a stretch of lev
ly ground for some 800 or 400 yards, and the
10. with two or three jerky strides, pulled b,
self UP and fell with crash right on to
at head, rolling myself free as she did SO.
! struggled on to my feet the brave bes
en- raised her head and looked at me with piteo
bloodshot eyes, and then her head dropp
o. with groan and she was dead Her hes
at was broker.
II, Umslopogaas pulled up beside the carca
In | 4 AL To-